The movie eXistenZ by David Cronenberg tells a story of characters who find themselves inside multiple levels of universes created by a virtual reality game. The film ends, leaving unanswered which layer was the reality, and if the “real world” was shown at all. Seemingly, we have observed at least four layers:
1. The strange Chinese restaurant and the meat factory level.
2. The Mini-pod (gaming arcade) layer – the level where spy characters are created.
3. eXistenZ layer – the first game level, where Allegra and Tod are on the run.
4. The TransCendenZ Focus group level.
Googling around, there are still hot debates on Reddit whether the last level - the reality of the TransCendenZ test group - is the movie’s “real world” or just the next simulation. Regardless of the answer, the discussion takes us to the issue Descartes raised about our own world. In First Meditations, he presents a dream argument: assuming you are in the dream of some kind and find no indication of it - all your sensory knowledge might be delusionary therefore and not to be trusted.
What’s interesting, however, no matter in the dream you are, game simulation, or any kind of “reality” - it is possible that your senses are relevant to that “existence”. To explain, maybe you are given a set of instincts, sensory knowledge, and intuitions that come handy for navigating in that “reality”. If so, then why to deny it completely? It is very likely a good tool for our journey here.
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